Walking Away
by shewasa-silvergirl
Summary: This story begins just before the Quarter Quell in Catching Fire and continues through and beyond Mockingjay. It is drawn from both the movie Mockingjay and the events of the books, and it is about how Effie came to be included in the plan to make Katniss the Mockingjay and how her relationships with everyone grew throughout and after this time. There is definite Hayffie involved.
1. Ch 1: She Hung Seneca Crane

"Effie, open the door," said Haymitch.

"Go away," Effie sobbed. The announcement that Katniss had hung Seneca Crane had upset Effie, and after Peeta and Katniss had received their training scores, she had once again locked herself in her room.

"Effie, you've cried enough for one day. Open the door."

Effie came to the door; her makeup was smudged, and her eyes were red and puffy.

Haymitch followed her into the room and sat in the chair next to the bed where Effie was sitting.

"She hung Seneca Crane." Effie whispered, "She hung. Seneca. Crane."

"I know, it was a bad move," Haymitch said, rubbing his temple.

"Haymitch, we're already in so much trouble," Effie stated. She had a solemn look about her.

"You're right," Haymitch agreed; his look was equally as solemn as hers was. "But this is about more than that, isn't it?"

Effie nodded.

"I know he was your friend, Effie, and I'm sorry." Haymitch patted Effie once on the hand.

"I'm sorry, too," said Effie, and single tear falling down her left cheek. "Haymitch, what are we going to do?"

Haymitch had known since the awards ceremony at the end of the last games that Effie was worried not only for herself and her job, but for everyone else; himself, Katniss, Peeta, Cinna, Portia, the prep teams… everyone who was involved with them. She knew that something was very wrong.

"I don't know, Effie; I really don't know." The truth was, he _did_ know, but he had decided to leave Effie out of whatever plan he was making. It was safer for her that way, and she was worried enough as it was without knowing that he, along with Plutarch Heavensbee and the other victors, were planning a revolution.

"You must have _some_ plan. You always do," Effie said. Haymitch hated her keen instinct; it would get her in trouble one day, he just knew it.

"Effie, just watch out, okay?" Haymitch pleaded.

"Of course, Haymitch," Effie responded. Haymitch knew that she knew what he meant by those words.

"Goodnight, Effie; get some sleep."

"And the same to you," said Effie.

Haymitch got up and left the room. He knew that, at some point, Effie would have to be included in his plan.


	2. Ch 2: She Has to Come

"Plutarch, we have to talk," said Haymitch. He had gone to meet Plutarch in a secret room in the basement of Plutarch's house.

"What about?" asked Plutarch with his eyebrows raised.

"Effie," Haymitch stated blankly.

"I wondered when you were going to bring her up," said Plutarch; he had had a feeling that, eventually, Effie would come into play.

"Look, Effie doesn't know about this plan yet, but she will find out, and when she does, there's no telling how long she'll last before the Peacekeepers take her."

Plutarch gave a stern look. "When she finds out, she'll be dead the next morning. Or worse. No one has use for an escort from District 12 who has no information to give up."

Haymitch knew Plutarch was right. "We'll have to get her out of here when we leave," he said.

"Will she even come? I can't see Effie deciding to join a rebellion; she's never been the type," Plutarch stated.

"She can't even have the choice; she has to come. Even if she doesn't do it for our reasons, she'll do it for her own. Make it personal; it is Effie, after all." Haymitch and Plutarch stared into one another's eyes in silence for a little while. Finally, Plutarch gave a great sigh,

"Fine. I could use a right hand; when she decides to join us, she'll make a great one." Plutarch knew that the only way that Effie would be allowed in 13 is if she proved to be of some use to someone. He had always admired her ability to organize things neatly and to keep schedules to the second; she was the perfect assistant, and that was how he planned to use her.

"Plutarch, make sure that no one in 13 hurts her; she might not be so welcome there," said Haymitch.

"She will be welcomed there if I say she is. Haymich, I promise you that nothing will happen to her; Effie is a tough, smart woman, and she will make it wherever she is."

Haymitch knew why Effie and Plutarch were friends; they both had a sense of determination about them that he was sure would make them an invincible team.

"Well, I guess that's all. See you at the Games."

"See you there," Plutarch said.

Haymitch left the room, hoping that Plutarch would come through on his promise.


	3. Ch 3: She Called Them All Cave-Dwellers

I know that these are coming quickly; I have several chapters already written and am publishing these as I write the rest. I hope you all are enjoying reading them as much as I am enjoying writing them!

"Well Haymitch, you told me to call you when Effie finally decided to join our little party, and she just did," said Plutarch. Haymitch was currently being rehabilitated for his alcoholism and hadn't seen Effie since they got off of the hovercraft that brought them to 13; he had been worried that something had happened to her.

"How did you convince her?" Haymitch asked; he sounded terrible, but there did seem to be a happier edge in his voice than there had been the last time Plutarch had called him; Plutarch knew it had to be because of Effie.

"I told her that she could be easily replaced; I hoped it would do the trick, because truthfully, I don't know what I would have done if she had refused. I've needed her badly already."

Haymitch laughed on the other end. "And what was her reaction to that?" He could only imagine.

"Well, she called everyone in 13 a 'cave-dweller' and said that none of them knew anything about Katniss Everdeen," Plutarch said, trying to suppress his laughter. Haymitch, however, could not suppress his.

"She called them all 'cave-dwellers?'" he asked, barely breathing because he was laughing so hard. He let out a loud cough and finished, "well, as long as she's joined up with us, I don't care what she calls them." 'Cave-dweller'; Effie always had had a way with words, Haymitch thought.

"Well, you know Effie; she always has to say something terrible like that." Plutarch laughed out loud this time; he remembered now why he had always liked Effie so much. "She really did it more for the girl than anything."

"I knew she would," Haymitch began, "she loves those kids; she did from the first time she met them, although she never would have admitted it. She would do anything to help either of them."

"You're right about that; she's a lot like Katniss, you know," said Plutarch.

Haymitch was confused. "Like her how?"

"She's stubborn; she does things on her own terms; no one can make her do anything that she doesn't want to unless she senses danger, and she always sets her own conditions. Above anything, if she loves you, she'll go to the end of earth and heaven to help you."

Haymitch had never thought of any of this before, but Plutarch was right; Effie and Katniss were alike in many ways, and that was probably why they had taken so long to warm up to one another.

"Oh, she also asked about you," Plutarch mentioned.

"Oh, did she?"

"I think she was hoping to get your take on this before making a definite decision on this. Like I said, she isn't the rebellious type; I felt bad that I had to tell her that her life at home is over. I know she loves her apartment and her life there; she's lived there since she was eighteen."

Haymitch did feel bad for Effie; she had been dragged out of the Game Center with only what she was wearing that night, and no one had told her what was going to happen. He made a mental note to have her things packed and sent to his house as soon as all of this was over—granted anything was still left of it when all of this was over.

"Plutarch, remember what I said before; keep an eye on her. It's Effie—I know she'll do something that raises a brow or two."


	4. Ch 4: What The Hell Are You Wearing?

Haymitch was not wrong.

"Effie, what the hell are you wearing?" asked Plutarch. The two had met in Effie's compartment before going to the dining hall, and Effie's clothes were not _quite_ regulation.

"If you thought for one second that I was going out in those _drab_ jumpsuits you people call clothing, you were _dead_ wrong," Effie snapped. "Besides, nowhere in the rules does it say one _can't_ re-create these things to their liking."

Technically, thought Plutarch, Effie was right. "I have to hand it to you, Effie Trinket; you know how to work with what you're given."

"Well then," said Effie, sticking her nose in the air, "shall we go find Katniss?"

"I think I'll let you go in on your own this time. Do you have Cinna's designs for her?" Plutarch noticed that Effie's eyes dropped. She nodded in response. Plutarch put his hand on her shoulder and said, "Good luck."

"How did it go?" Plutarch asked later that day.

"Is my compartment now a gathering spot, Plutarch?" Effie asked with a considerable amount of sass in her voice.

"Only during visiting hours, _Miss Trinket_," Plutarch teased.

"That's 'Effie' to you," she snapped back. "Anyhow, it went well. She liked Cinna's designs."

"Tomorrow we'll begin working on the propos. Haymitch should be joining us any day now, maybe even tomorrow. Get some rest tonight, and be ready for a 'big, big, big day' tomorrow." Plutarch smiled at her in a sarcastic, almost childish way.

"You really get on my nerves," said Effie, squinting her eyes, "Goodnight."

Effie waved him off; she was excited about the next day. She was excited about getting to see Haymitch again.


	5. Ch 5: Kid

"Effie, do you really like me better sober?"

Haymitch and Effie met up with one another in Effie's compartment after the meeting with Plutarch and the others about how Katniss could be presented during the propaganda clips.

"Yes, Haymitch, I do," said Effie, "Do you really like me better without any makeup on?"

"Yes, Effie, I do," Haymitch reciprocated, "You're really beautiful."

Effie blushed. The pair sat down at Effie's table.

"What? Hasn't anyone ever told you that you're beautiful before?" Haymitch asked. Effie shook her head and looked down at the floor.

"Hey kid, you are; don't forget it." Haymitch finished with a wink.

"'Kid,'" Effie repeated, "You haven't called me that in years now; I believe it is what you called me the day we met." Effie, of course, never liked being called 'kid' by Haymitch, but today, it was alright.

"You were really too young to be an escort, ya know? How'd you even get that job, anyway?" They had never talked about how she came to be an escort before; it had always seemed to be an off-limits topic.

"I was a model at the time, and I was in the crowd with a lot of the Games' stylists. I guess I'll never really know how I scored the job, but one day, I was told that District 12 was in need of an escort and that the job was mine. I couldn't say 'no'." Effie gave a sigh and finished, "I really was too young; no twenty-year old had ever been given the job before. All of the others laughed, and I always thought that I had to prove myself to them and everyone else; prove that the young model could handle the responsibility. It was nothing like I thought it was going to be; I especially never could have imagined that anything like this would happen."

Effie and Haymitch sat in silence for a few minutes. Then, Haymitch said,

"I couldn't have guessed it either. I'll see you around, kid."

Haymitch got up and walked out of the compartment, leaving Effie to her thoughts.


	6. Ch 6: Broadcast

I don't know yet if I will go back and add a chapter on Effie's reaction to "The Hanging Tree" or not. I tried to write it, but it was fairly difficult for me to come up with how I wanted to set the scene up, even though I have an idea on her reaction in my head. For now, though, I wanted to get this chapter up.

Effie hated the live broadcasts from the Capitol. They were depressing, and something about tonight's seemed different. Eerie. She had hardly paid attention to what was going on until…

"Is that…?" her eyes widened. Haymitch sat upright.

"Effie-"

Before Haymitch could tell her "get out of here," they watched as Portia and Peeta's prep team were shot on live television.

Effie covered her mouth with both of her hands; she was shaking violently, and she had begun to breathe quickly. She ran from the room, and, when she reached her compartment, she crashed to the floor, wracked with sobs.

Haymitch ran after her and covered her body with his and rocked her from side to side.

"Effie, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Effie."

After a while, Effie's sobs turned into a steady stream of tears. Haymitch helped her off of the floor and into a chair.

"Effie, do you need anything?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just go," she replied emptily.

Haymitch left the room, knowing that tomorrow would be a hard day for everyone.

"Haymitch, where is Effie?" Plutarch asked when Haymitch made it back into the dining hall.

"She went back to her compartment. Plutarch—leave her alone tonight," Haymitch warned.

"Is she okay?"

Haymitch hated Plutarch for that question.

"Plutarch, her friends—the only true friends she had left in this world—were just murdered live on national television. She lost Cinna, now Portia and her team; and who the hell knows what happened to the rest of Katniss's team? Why would you even ask me if she is okay right now?"

Haymitch was angry. He knew those people; Portia had always been very nice to him, and she and Effie had been best friends for a long time before Portia ever became a stylist. Portia and her team weren't killed because they were a threat to anyone or because they had information they weren't giving up—they were killed for show.

"Haymitch… I know this is not a fair situation, but you have to make sure that Effie does her job despite all of this. She can't shut down because of this—you understand that, right?"

Every word Plutarch said was making Haymitch madder. "Plutarch, you cannot expect Effie to just get over this in five minutes. She won't shut down and she won't stop doing her job; you just have to give her time to grieve a little. You need to have more faith in her, and you need to be more sympathetic toward her. You have known her for years, but you act as if you met her a day ago. Leave her alone tonight, and I'll go talk to her in the morning." Haymitch turned away from Plutarch and walked off. He couldn't stand to look at him anymore.


	7. Ch 7: Don't Finish That Sentence

I wanted to note that I am going out of town for a day-trip tomorrow and will be posting the next chapter on Tuesday.

I also wanted to mention that, while I have the ending of this already written, I am a little bit stumped on how to write the chapters that are set during _Mockingjay: Pt. 2_, as, obviously, I don't have anything from that movie to work with. My plan is to scan over that part of the book and work Effie in as Fulvia like they did in the movie while still keeping up with the relationship she has with Haymitch, Katniss, and everyone else. So, after the next chapter is posted, it might be a few days before another one is put up because they haven't been written yet.

Anyhow… I hope you are enjoying this so far!

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><p>The next morning, Haymitch slid open the door to Effie's compartment. He was surprised to see that she was awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.<p>

"Effie, I'm sorry," said Haymitch, walking over and sitting across from her. He took her left hand and stroked the top of it with his thumb.

"Plutarch was right; my days in the Capitol really are over. I have no friends left there. None at all."

"Effie, do you want the day off?" Haymitch asked.

"Yes," Effie replied honestly.

"Well, if you need anything, let me know." But before Haymitch could get up, Effie squeezed his hand tighter.

"Haymitch, Portia was killed because she was Cinna's partner, and her team was killed because they were associated with her. I don't know about Cinna's team, but I'm willing to bet that they're dead too. Haymitch… I was supposed to die with them, I know it" said Effie.

Haymitch had no idea why he hadn't connected that Portia was killed because of her association with Cinna. And Effie was right; if she had still been in the Capitol, she would have either died with Portia or been tortured until she wished she were dead.

"Effie…"

"I know I shouldn't think that way, but it is true. If you hadn't gotten me out of there…"

"Don't finish that sentence," said Haymitch.

"Haymitch… I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" said Effie. Haymitch could tell that she wanted to be alone now.

"Alright," said Haymitch. Once again, he walked out of her compartment.


	8. Ch 8: They Just Won't

I am SO sorry that I did not get this posted Tuesday like I said; I was super busy this week and just never got around to uploading this (I know, I know, that's no excuse). Anyway, I'm still working on the next couple of chapters, so… we'll see how that goes! Thanks guys!

* * *

><p>That night, 13 was attacked.<p>

When the alarms sounded for everyone to get underground, Haymitch's mind raced to Effie. He looked for her in the crowd, and panicked slightly when he couldn't find her. When he got downstairs, he saw her, sitting on her bunk with her hands rubbing her temples.

"Effie," he said, sitting down beside her and putting an arm around her.

"What a mess," said Effie, putting her arms around his waist.

Haymitch decided to stay with her through the night; they both needed someone to be with, and they were both having a hard day.

The next day, Katniss, Haymitch, Plutarch, Effie, and Cressida and her crew set out to shoot another propo that would state that 13 and Katniss Everdeen had made it through the Capitol's attack.

Effie noticed that something was wrong when they started. Katniss kept saying "I can't do this," and finally walked off. Effie followed her through the rubble, not really knowing what to say, but knowing that she had to be there for Katniss now.

"Effie, they're going to kill Peeta," said Katniss. She began to cry.

"Shh, no, no dear," said Effie, putting her arms around Katniss and stroking her hair; she moved them onto a slab of marble and sat them both down. "Katniss, they won't kill him; they just won't."

"Effie, they will; you know what happened to Portia and his prep team. Effie, they're going to kill him." Katniss laid her head on Effie's shoulder once more; somehow, it was comforting. Effie had changed from the strange woman in the wigs and crazy clothes. Katniss saw that, under all of the makeup, Effie was a real person, maybe even a friend.

"No," said Effie, "just… no." Effie had no more words to say, but she held Katniss in her arms for a little while, hoping that she could maybe offer some comfort to her.

"Effie, I need to be alone for a while; thank you for trying," said Katniss. Effie let her go and pulled herself up, giving Katniss a lead before going inside herself.

She went inside and found Haymitch walking back to his compartment.

"Effie, we're going to rescue Peeta and the other tributes. We've already gathered the team, and they're getting ready to leave now," Haymitch told her.

"You need to tell Katniss all of this," said Effie. "Haymitch, please; tell her this."

Haymitch did as Effie said and told Katniss about the rescue plan.


	9. Ch 9: The Jig Is Up (Suicide TW)

Alright guys, I know I skipped over a fair portion of the book. However, I couldn't come up with anything for that portion, and I have the rest of this finished, so I wanted to go ahead and put this up. I hope you don't mind too much! Thanks for reading even this much—I really appreciate it!

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><p>Effie looked around the room sadly. The president's mansion, she thought, had nothing on her apartment. It was neither grand nor welcoming like she had once thought and she hated this room as much as she hated the compartment she had been living in in 13. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair; she must have nodded off, though, because the knocking on her door startled her, and she noticed that the sun's position in the sky had changed.<p>

"Come in; the door isn't locked," she called to the visitor.

Plutarch Heavensbee walked in. "Effie, President Coin wants to see you," he said.

"Alright," Effie replied, standing up, smoothing over her skirt, and following Plutarch down several halls and into a conference room. He did not follow her inside, though; apparently, this was a private meeting.

"Miss Trinket, sit down," Coin said. Her eyes were cold, and her voice was unpleasant at best.

"Yes?" Effie asked, raising an eyebrow and locking her eyes onto Coin's. Effie hated her, and could tell that something was going on just from the way Coin was looking at her.

"Miss Trinket, you know by now that the President is set to be executed, and you know that Katniss Everdeen will carry out the execution."

"Yes, of course," said Effie, still gazing into Coin's eyes; they got colder by the second.

"Cutting to the chase, Miss Trinket, at the beginning of your time with us, you agreed to continue your duties as Katniss's escort; you are to continue to do this at the execution. You will, of course, be expected to look the part as well as play it. Otherwise, I cannot promise you that you will have a place in the new Panem once this is all over with."

Effie's gaze never faltered, but her heart seemed to skip several beats. She did not at all like what Coin's words were implying.

"So, the jig is up," said Effie. "Either I parade myself as the dim-witted escort one more time, or I'm executed as a traitor to you and your government. Is that it?" Effie had never in her life spoken that way before. Coin looked as if she had the potential to breathe fire, but continued to speak coolly,

"Ms. Trinket, you need to remember your place. Now, please leave, and remember what I have told you."

Effie got up and left the room without giving Coin so much as a smug look. When she made it back to the room she was staying in, she went into the bathroom, turned on the shower, undressed, and stepping into the scalding stream. After a few minutes, she sank to the floor and cried. She knew that she would never escape being the escort under Coin's reign, and she knew that her place in the world would never, ever be guaranteed; it hadn't been in a long time.

When she got out of the shower, she put on a set of pajamas and went back into her room. She turned down the bed, crawled in, and opened the drawer of the nightstand, taking out a full bottle of sleeping pills.

It wasn't long until her world faded to black.


	10. Ch 10: There's Still a Fight Left In You

"Effie," said a familiar voice.

The white of the room was blinding; Effie couldn't tell what orbit she was in. Nothing seemed real to her, yet something told her that she wasn't dead. She couldn't string together a sentence in her mind, either, which would have been more frustrating if she weren't so out of it.

When she finally spoke, it was in a weak, deadpan voice, "Plutarch."

"Effie, I just don't believe it," he told her.

It had been quite a shock for him when he walked into Effie's room to check on her after the meeting with Coin. He had expected her not to take it well; he _hadn't_ expected to find her lying unconscious with an empty pill bottle next to her. From what the doctors had told him, though, Effie was lucky because he had gotten there pretty soon after it happened, which saved her life.

Neither of them said anything for the rest of his visit, but Plutarch stayed beside her until the doctor came in and asked him to leave.

* * *

><p>The next time Effie woke up, she felt a different hand holding hers and a wave of happiness came over her when she heard,<p>

"Good morning, princess."

"Haymitch." Suddenly, she was crying, "Haymitch I'm so sorry."

"Sshh, sshh, no, Effie, don't," he said, stroking her forehead, "come on; you'll make yourself sick. Sshh."

It took a couple of minutes for Effie to calm down. Haymitch put his forehead to hers, feeling closer to tears in that moment than he had in a very, very, very long time.

"Haymitch, I'm so scared," she said.

She sounded pitiful; her speech was slurred and her voice was cracked. She looked paler than ever, and the circles under her eyes accentuated how dead she was on the inside. Haymitch almost wished she had died so that she didn't have to go through this. The doctor had said she would recover eventually, but Haymitch knew that a part of her would remain gone forever.

"Effie, it's going to be alright. It's going to be alright. There's still a fight left in you, I know it."

She didn't say anything else after that, either because she couldn't or wouldn't, but Haymitch stayed with her regardless. All he wanted was to be near her so that he could be sure of her existence.

* * *

><p>"How was your visit with her?" Plutarch asked when Haymitch came back.<p>

"She didn't say much," Haymitch told him.

"I could have guessed as much." Plutarch let out a heavy sigh, "I don't think she'll be well enough to work in a few days."

"Me either," Haymitch agreed, "but Coin is going make her do it anyway. Mark my words, she'll be out of the hospital before the execution whether she's ready or not."


	11. Ch 11: A Vacant Look

Effie was released from the hospital the night before Snow's execution was to be carried out. She felt awful, and certainly didn't want to have to get dressed up and made up as an escort in the morning.

Haymitch hadn't been to see her in a couple of days; he was too drunk to even try to visit. Plutarch walked her back into her room, not even bothering to try to make conversation until they got there.

"Effie, I'll be by in the morning to make sure you're up. I know you don't want to do this, but please do the best you can. There's still hope, you know."

"Hope for what? Face it, Plutarch, as soon as Coin is president, my life is over. Thank you for trying, though. I appreciate it."

Effie turned the doorknob and walked inside; Plutarch followed her and said,

"I'm not giving up on you. Try to get some sleep."

Effie had to give the man credit for one thing: he was persistent.

* * *

><p>"Effie," said Katniss.<p>

"Hello, Katniss," Effie said, standing up and kissing Katniss on the cheek, trying to be as much like herself as possible. "Let's get you ready, shall we?"

Katniss couldn't help but notice that Effie's eyes had a vacant look to them.

"Effie, are you okay?" Katniss asked.

"I'm fine, dear; just fine," Effie responded. Katniss knew that that was the answer she gave when she really wasn't "just fine," but now was not the time to ask what was going on.

Once Effie finished with Katniss, she said, "Well, we have another big, big, big day ahead of us! I'm going to pop over and check on the arrangements and I'll see you out there."

"Okay," Katniss replied, trying to suppress any worries she had about Effie.

Gale came in and said "You know, Plutarch and Haymitch had a hard time keeping her alive."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Katniss asked.

"Nothing, just… now isn't the right time. Katniss… make sure Coin doesn't hurt her, alright? Effie's really not so bad."

Katniss didn't respond to Gale, but she made a note to make sure that Coin didn't kill her. Effie didn't deserve that.

After letting Gale and Katniss talk for a few minutes, Effie came back and said, "There's one last meeting planned before the execution," and led her into the conference room, closing the door behind her without another sound.


	12. Ch 12: Don't Be a Stranger

"Haymitch! How the hell could you vote for that?"

Plutarch was livid; Coin had just told him about the new plan for a Games featuring Capitol children, and he just knew that Haymitch had been one of the people who voted for it.

"I voted with Katniss; now, really, we have to get to the execution." Haymitch was cold and indifferent, and Plutarch couldn't stand it.

"I hope you know that you'll be the one telling Effie; you know Coin will make her play escort again for the Reaping that goes with the Games."

This seemed to have struck a nerve with Haymitch.

"Haymitch, do you know what will happen when she finds out?"

And he did have a feeling; only this time, there would be no "attempt" at all- Effie would just find a way to get it over with right then.

"We have to get through this first," Haymitch said, sounding less cold and more sad.

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><p>When Haymitch saw Katniss shoot Coin, he heard only one scream, and it came from within the mansion. He ran inside and saw Effie sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, breathing heavily with eyes wide open in shock.<p>

"Effie!" he yelled, running to her, "Effie, are you okay?"

"I… I can't believe…"

Haymitch made sure that Effie fell into his arms when she fainted.

* * *

><p>"Effie, are you alright?"<p>

Effie was sitting in the one chair in the room cross-legged with a cup of tea in her hands. It was warm, and the ginger in it burned her throat every time she took a sip.

"I'm fine, Plutarch, just fine," she answered dully. "I'm not going to try to kill myself again, if that's what you're wondering."

Plutarch hated that keen sense of hers. "Well Effie, I'm glad to hear that," he began, "You're apartment survived, so you can go back there after this is all over, if you want to."

"I have nowhere else to go," Effie said, taking a sip of tea afterward. It took her a long time to swallow it, Plutarch noticed.

"Effie, if there's anything I can ever do for you, here's my new number. Beetee and I are going to District 3 tomorrow, and all I ask is that you stay in touch." Plutarch handed her the slip of paper with his number written on it. Effie smiled and said,

"Thank you, Plutarch. You already have my number, so feel free to call me anytime. Don't be a stranger." Effie hugged him before he walked out.

'Don't be a stranger.' Plutarch liked that phrase.


	13. Ch 13: Lives Best Lived Seperately

"Haymitch, Effie's apartment wasn't hit," said Plutarch. Haymitch remembered that he had wanted to have Effie's things packed and sent to his house if her apartment survived, but now he wasn't so sure. He had been asked to look after Katniss, and he knew that Effie would not want to disturb that right now. "I've already told Effie; she's headed back there in the morning."

"That's good," said Haymitch.

"Haymitch, you aren't really going to let her go back and stay there, are you?" Plutarch asked.

"If she wants to, she can," Haymitch replied.

"I'm headed back to District 3 to work on a new broadcast system with Beetee; I will see if I can help her to find a job, here or anywhere, really. She can't shut herself up in that apartment," said Plutarch.

"From what I've heard from her, she's been living alone there since she was eighteen," Haymitch said, growing frustrated with the conversation, "and she has always been just fine. Why are you so worried about her living there now?"

"For one thing, things aren't the same there anymore and you know it; for another, she_ hasn't_ always been just fine there. I talked to her about it, and, even though she says she's okay with the arrangement, I don't think she is." Plutarch knew that Haymitch would be unyielding in his decision to let Effie do whatever she said she wanted, but he had to try anyway.

"Plutarch, just make sure she is taken care of, and I'll try to do the same as much as I can," said Haymitch. He was just as unyielding as Plutarch had expected.

"Fine, Haymitch. Just… don't leave her without a goodbye."

The two men shook hands and walked away from one another. Haymitch knew, though, that he had no intention of saying goodbye to Effie, as he figured that their lives were best lived separately from now on.


	14. Ch 14: Alone

The next morning, Effie went back to her apartment. Tears stung her eyes the second she walked through the door; it didn't feel the same anymore.

She noticed that the place was oddly clean considering the fact that it had been deserted for months. She saw a vase of flowers and a note sitting on top of the coffee table and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly who sent it. The note read:

'Effie,

I had your place cleaned so that you wouldn't have to deal with it; you have enough going on.

Stay well; I'll be in touch in a few days.

-Plutarch.'

She put the note down, walked into her bedroom, and sat on top of the bed, staring at the lavender-colored wall. After a while, she got up and opened the door to her closet; it was a walk-in the size of another large bedroom, and, for the first time, Effie felt overwhelmed inside of it. The clothes reminded her too much of Cinna and Portia; they reminded her of her days as an escort and her involvement in the Games. These clothes weren't her life anymore.

She began to take the clothes off of the rods and placed them in piles: keep, donate, re-work. She couldn't bring herself to get rid of Portia and Cinna's designs, no matter how painful it was to look at them. Then, there were pieces that she loved the fabric on and decided that a little renovation would make them more suited to her life now—whatever that was. When the last piece came down, she put back all of the pieces she was keeping, put the pieces she wished to donate or send to a consignment shop on her bed, and moved the pieces she wanted to re-work into her design room.

She remembered now why she loved having the penthouse apartment; it was incredibly spacious and had a lot of rooms inside. She had been able to buy it instead of renting it, and she had gotten it for a lot less than it was worth because no one would take it. For her, though, it was well-worth the investment.

Effie then moved into what she deemed the "vanity room," which was connected to the "design room" by a single door. This was her favorite room in the whole apartment; she had forgotten how much she missed sitting down at her dressing table and getting ready. It was painted white and was trimmed and accented in a bright fuchsia with the shag carpet to match. It was the only room that she had never re-done.

She sat down at the dressing table and began opening drawers; she placed all of the makeup that had expired or that she knew she would never use again onto the floor (being very careful not to break any of it lest it get into the carpet), and afterward she found an empty box, moved everything on the floor into that box, and threw it away.

The next thing she opened up was her wig closet; those, she decided, were all to be tossed. The wig fad had come and gone, and now everyone was beginning to wear their natural hair in elaborate braids or simply straight, wavy, or curled. Effie decided that she would have to make an appointment to get her hair shaped, as it was looking a bit limp toward the ends from not being properly cared for in 13.

Over the next three days, her old life slowly disappeared into boxes and trash bins. On the third day, she came across an elaborately detailed wooden box in one of her bedroom drawers. She recognized it as being a box that contained all of her favorite pictures.

Effie opened the box and sighed; she sat in the floor for what felt like hours, until finally she broke down in tears. There were hundreds of pictures that contained dead faces; Seneca Crane, Cinna, Portia… a huge part of her wanted to throw the pictures away so that she never had to look at them again. She let out a small gasp at the last picture in the box; it was a picture of her with Haymitch Abernathy, taken at the beginning of their first games together. Neither one of them was looking at the camera; Haymitch was drinking out of a wine bottle, and Effie was looking away from him with a smile on her face, apparently laughing at the situation. She remembered what had happened; she had offered him a glass, and he said "no, don't need one," which Effie had found both annoying and hilarious at the same time. She left that one out as she placed all of the other back into the box; she made a mental note to track down a frame for that picture.

It hit her then how lonely she really was. She had spent days trying to put the thought out of her head, but it couldn't be avoided any longer.

She was, for the first time since she was eighteen and had moved into her apartment, alone.


	15. Ch 15: Then One Day

For a whole year, Haymitch stayed in 12, tending to his geese and waiting for the train to come in so that he could get his liquor. He would occasionally help Katniss with a book she was working on; it contained memories of the people they had known, and he contributed years' worth of dead tributes to its pages. He thought of Effie often, but somehow she never came up in conversations. She wrote to him and Katniss and Peeta every once in a while, but he never wrote back. She had gone back to modeling whenever someone wanted her for a job and had been given a job as an event coordinator under Paylor's new government. According to the new President, Effie was "the best in the business." Haymitch knew, though, that Effie didn't sound as happy as she should, not even in writing. The letters were short, simple; they contained no traces of the old escort that he had come to know over a decade ago now.

Then one day, while he was waiting for the train to bring his liquor, she showed up. He was surprised to see her at his door; she looked different, yet, somehow, the same as she always had to him. Her makeup was simple; it made her look as if she were actually glowing. Her hair was cut to just below shoulder length and was worn parted down the middles with shorter bit framing her face. It was wavy and naturally blonde; it suited her well. The dress she wore was simple as well; it came to her knees and was a mid-tones purple with cap-sleeves and a high, square-cut neckline. She still had heels on, but they were a few inches shorter than what she had worn in previous years; she carried with her one suitcase and one over-the-shoulder bag.

Haymitch was almost disappointed; she wasn't staying for long.

"Hi, Effie," Haymitch said.

Without hesitation, Effie put her bags down and went to him, putting her arms around him. She smelled like jasmine, Haymitch noted. He was sad when she pulled away; he felt like he could have stayed there for all eternity, wrapped up in the scent of her and holding her tightly so that she could never leave him again.

"I've missed you," said Effie. Haymitch wiped away the single tear that had escaped her right eye with his thumb.

"I've missed you too, sweetheart," he said, picking up her bags and leading her inside.

"It hasn't changed much." She was clearly referring to the state of Haymitch's house. It was dark, there were liquor bottles scattered all over the place—all empty, and the furniture was the same as it had been the day she met him.

"I know; I'm sorry," said Haymitch, suddenly ashamed.

"It's alright; I like it—it's familiar," Effie said. She sounded hollow and, somehow, old. Her accent hadn't changed, but her tone of voice had; it confirmed Haymitch's suspicion that she was not happy. Not even close.

"How have you been, Effie?" Haymitch asked.

"Oh, you know, busy with this, that and the other; I'm on the cover of Capitol Couture next month, so that's exciting. How are you?" Her speech was hurried, as if she wanted to jump to another topic immediately.

"I'm fine, Effie," Haymitch said.

"And Katniss and Peeta? How are they? Haymitch couldn't tell if something was wrong or if she was just trying to make conversation.

"They're fine too, Effie; actually, I should tell them you're here." Haymitch walked to the front door and saw that Katniss and Peeta were already walking toward his house.

"Haymitch, did we see someone come in?" Katniss asked as she walked up the stairs and onto Haymitch's porch.

"Uh, yeah; Effie's here," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Effie's here!?" Katniss asked. "Why didn't you tell us she was coming?" She hit Haymitch on the arm.

"I didn't know she was until she showed up, sweetheart," said Haymitch, rubbing over the area Katniss had punched.

"Well, let's go inside, then," said Peeta, leading the way.

Effie was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed, her eyes staring down at the folded hands in her lap. When she looked up and saw Katniss and Peeta, her eyes widened and gave a genuine, happy-looking smile; Haymitch realized that it was the first smile she'd given since she had gotten there.

"I have missed you both so much!" she said, hugging Katniss, then Peeta, then letting the both of them hug her at one time.

"We've missed you, Effie," said Peeta.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Katniss asked; the three sat down on the couch together and Haymitch took the chair across from them.

"I didn't know I was until I started packing," Effie answered.

"Well, we're happy to have you here, Effie," said Peeta.

"Come on, Eff, I'll show you where your room is."

Haymitch picked up her bags and showed her to her room; he had though for a while before the rebellion ended that it would be hers when he invited her to move in with him, but that just hadn't happened.


	16. Ch 16: Go to Her

The week had gone by very, very quickly.

Haymitch, Katniss, and Peeta saw Effie off; she did not look very excited to get on the train.

"Effie, are you okay?" Peeta asked; Effie's eyes had begun to well with tears.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, shaking her head and blinking a few times.

"You don't have to go back," said Katniss, "You could just pack up and move here with us."

Effie was surprised to hear Katniss say this; Haymitch, however, stood still, making it impossible to tell whether he agreed with Katniss's proposition or not.

"No, no, I could never; I have to get back." Effie's voice faltered, and she turned around and got on the train before anyone could see her cry.

Haymitch walked away without giving the train a second look; once again, he had let Effie go. He was terrible at goodbyes.

* * *

><p>"Haymitch," Katniss said, "can I ask you something?" She walked over to Haymitch's couch and sat in the corner opposite to Haymitch, folding up her legs and turning to face him.<p>

"Look, if you're gonna ask me why I didn't say goodbye to Effie, I'll give you the same answer I gave Peeta: she was about to start crying, and I didn't know what to say to her. I never know what to say to her when she leaves."

"Lame excuse," said Katniss, "but no, that isn't it."

"Oh, what is it, then?" Haymitch asked, slightly embarrassed.

"On the morning of Snow's execution, Gale told me that you and Plutarch had a hard time keeping Effie alive. What did he mean by that?"

Haymitch was surprised by the question; he had hoped that he would never have to tell her what happened with Effie, but he decided to be honest with Katniss.

"Effie had just gotten out of the hospital the night before," Haymitch started.

"She was in the hospital?" Katniss interrupted.

"Yeah. Katniss, don't make a big deal over this, especially not to Effie, but she tried to kill herself a week before the execution."

"Effie? Why?" Katniss asked. But she already knew why; Gale had told her to make sure that Coin didn't hurt Effie. "Coin was planning on killing Effie, wasn't she?"

"Katniss, Effie wasn't being the escort that day for the hell of it. Coin threatened her, and she panicked. She's lucky, though; Plutarch went to check on her, and that saved her life."

"I can't believe Effie tried to commit suicide, though. She doesn't seem like the type."

"Effie would never have tried it before, and she definitely won't try it again," Haymitch said.

"Haymitch, if you fought so hard for her then, why aren't you still fighting for her now?" Katniss asked.

Haymitch was taken slightly aback, but the more he thought about Katniss's question, the more it made sense.

"Honestly, I think she's better off without me," he admitted.

"Haymitch, Effie doesn't think that. She told Peeta and me last night how much she misses you and wishes you would write her back or try to have some sort of contact with her. Even Plutarch calls her once or twice a week."

"You think I messed up, then?" Haymitch asked. When Katniss only nodded in response, he said,

"I love her, but I don't know how to fix this."

"Haymitch, if you love her, you'll go to her."

* * *

><p>A few days later, Haymitch got on the train to the Capitol.<p> 


	17. Ch 17: I Love You

Effie stayed in bed for three days before she decided that she had to get up.

She walked into her bathroom and turned on the shower; she decided on a warmer setting and chose a vanilla scented body scrub from her collection, and, slowly but surely, she felt herself coming back to life.

Once she got out of the shower, she put on a purple silk robe and blew her hair dry. As soon as she finished, she heard a knock at her door. She wondered who could possibly be knocking and decided that whoever it was would be given the pleasure of seeing her in her robe, as she had no time to change.

When she opened the door, she was surprised.

"Hey sweetheart," Haymitch said.

"I—what are you doing here, Haymitch?" Effie asked. She looked at him with her head cocked to one side and her brow furrowed, "If you wanted to say the goodbye you owe me, you could have just called; I wouldn't have cared."

"I'm here to give you this," Haymitch replied, pulling a small box out of his jacket pocket.

Effie stared at the box for a moment.

"Open it," Haymitch said, twitching his hand.

Effie opened the box and let out a small gasp; she removed the ring and felt tears in her throat. It was simple and elegant; the band was silver, and there was an open heart in the middle that had small diamonds around the perimeter. Haymitch took it from her and slipped it onto her finger, asking,

"Effie, will you move in with me?"

Effie let out a choked laugh and hugged Haymitch; she was crying too hard to say "yes."

"I love you Effie. I love you."


	18. Ch 18: Never Again

Effie moved in with Haymitch, but decided to keep her apartment so that she would have somewhere to go when she had to go to the Capitol on business. The pair decided to sleep in separate rooms until the wedding, and to decide if they would sleep together afterward; after all, Haymitch still slept with a knife and Effie kicked and tossed around in her sleep.

Haymitch liked living with Effie; she kept the house warm and clean, and, over the span of a few months, it went from "house" to "home" as Effie made sure the whole place was repainted and redecorated in a way that reflected both her tastes and Haymitch's. She was also a fantastic cook, and it was not uncommon for Effie and Peeta to go in together and make a dinner that even the fanciest of Capitol restaurants could not dare to replicate. Effie always made sure that everyone was taken care of, and everyone tried to let her know often how much they appreciated her.

Effie had decided already that she wanted both Katniss and Peeta to walk her down the aisle and give her away at the wedding since neither of her parents were alive to do the job; the two had graciously agreed, stating that they were excited to do it. Katniss would, of course, be the maid of honor, and Peeta would be the best man; Effie reassured them that they would get to choose their own clothing and shoes. Haymitch enjoyed seeing Effie so excited; he knew that event planning was her "thing," and he could see why President Paylor loved her work.

When Effie asked Haymitch why he had proposed to her after having just let her leave town without so much as a parting word, he told her that it was because he realized right after she left that he didn't want her to just be with him; he wanted her to be with him, forever and ever until death parted them. Of course, he had laid it on a little thick— it was Effie, after all, and she would have accepted nothing less.

It was sure to be a grand affair, this wedding; Haymitch could not wait to see Effie walk down the aisle.

No longer would either of them be walking away from one another without knowing for sure the other would come right back.

* * *

><p>Yay for having this one finished! I have a sequel in the works, so be prepared!<p>

Anyhow, I hope you all enjoyed reading this, and thank you so much!


	19. Effie's Reaction to The Hanging Tree

I wrote Effie's reaction to "The Hanging Tree," but it did not fit into the fic at all, so I decided to post it as an extra because I feel like it is important to my version of Effie's story. Warning: this is fairly dark, and there is mention of suicide.

"What upset Effie so much?" Katniss asked as she walked into the production room. Effie had blown past her quickly without saying a word, and it looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Plutarch was rubbing his forehead and Haymitch was standing with his hand on the back of his chair; Katniss figured he had tried to go after Effie.

"We finished the propo," said Plutarch, raising his head.

"That still doesn't answer my question," said Katniss.

Haymitch said, "That's what upset her. The propo."

"The propo?" Katniss asked. "Why? Did she not like the song or something?" Katniss thought it would be just like Effie to think the song was inappropriate, even if this was a rebellion.

"I don't know," anwered Haymitch. "She's always acted that way around anything to do with the word 'hanging.'"

"Have you ever asked her why, Haymitch?" asked Plutarch with his eyebrows raised.

"No, but judging by the look on your face, I should have." Haymitch had always figured Effie would get mad if he asked, so he always avoided the question when it came up.

"Has Effie ever told you anything about her parents?"

Haymitch was surprised when he told Plutarch, "No, she hasn't." In all their years of working together, Effie had never brought her parents up. "Come to think of it, though, she has mentioned several times that she's lived alone since she was eighteen. I never really questioned it, though." Again, he had thought she would be mad if he asked her what was up with the fact that she never mentioned her mother or father.

"Wait, Effie's never talked about her parents?" Katniss asked. "How is that possible? I mean, she has parents, right?"

"Actually, Katniss, she doesn't; not live ones, at least." Plutarch had a sad look on his face; Katniss realized that Plutarch had to have been friends with Effie's parents at some point.

"I figured that much," said Haymitch, "but why would she keep that a secret? A lot of us have parents that have died."

"Well, if you'll listen, I'll explain it," said Plutarch.

Katniss and Haymitch exchanged a look and sat down at the table.

"Effie's father worked in the government's Communications Department. One day, President Snow himself showed up to inform Mrs. Trinket that her husband had collapsed in his office the day before and had died in the Capitol hospital that morning."

"Shouldn't Snow have told Effie's mother about it right when it happened?" Katniss asked. But then, she thought, it was President Snow. "Or did he not want her to know right when it happened because he was hiding something?"

"That sounds more likely than anything," said Haymitch.

"I think so, too," said Plutarch. "Anyhow, Effie loved her father, and he loved her more than anything in the world. She was his pride and joy; he told me all the time how much he wished he could see her more often. When he died, it crushed Effie; she was about to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, and he had scheduled time off to be with her for the whole day."

"But what does this have to do with the song?" Katniss asked, not seeing how the two things related.

"Well, I'm getting there. As much as it crushed Effie, it was her mother who couldn't deal with it. Effie got over it one day—more or less; her mother never did. Effie's mother didn't care as much for Effie after her husband died, either; Effie was a lot like her father personality-wise, and Mrs. Trinket shut Effie out for two years."

"Two years? Plutarch, did Effie's mother-" It dawned on Haymitch what must have happened.

"Yes. Effie came home one day and found her mother hanging from the chandelier by one of her father's old belts."

Katniss's heart almost stopped; Haymitch buried his face in both of his hands.

"It was the day after her eighteenth birthday. Her mother didn't leave a note; she just left a will. That's how Effie got the money for the apartment; her mother gave her everything she and Mr. Trinket had left behind when they passed on. Effie went into modeling after that, and, well… you know what happens next."

They all sat in silence for a solid five minutes. Katniss remembered wondering once what Effie dreamed about at night; she had a feeling that she now knew. She also knew now that Effie had more in common with the people in the districts than she thought.

"Her mother was cruel to do that to her," Katniss stated, breaking the silence. "As broken up about my father as my mom was, she never would have gone through with committing suicide. No parent should do that to their kid."

"I think that's enough for one day," said Plutarch. "We'll all see the propo together when it airs."

Haymitch was the first to get up and walk out. Plutarch followed behind and said,

"Haymitch, you can't tell Effie that I told you any of this."

"I won't."

But Haymitch knew that Effie would have it figured out in no time at all.

* * *

><p>"Effie," Haymitch said, knocking at the door to her compartment.<p>

The door slid open, and when Haymitch saw Effie's face, he couldn't help but be a little bit broken-hearted for her. Her eyes were red and puffy; her face was blotchy and tear-stained; this was the worst Haymitch had ever seen her look.

She walked back inside without saying a word. Haymitch followed Effie and pulled her into a tight hug when she stopped walking.

"I know Plutarch told you about my parents," she said.

"Effie, what happened to you was not fair," Haymitch said.

"I loved my father, Haymitch. And my mother. I never got to say goodbye to them. My mother waited until I could move out to kill herself, but she had wanted to since the second she found out that my father died."

Effie pulled away and sat on top of her bed; Haymitch sat beside her, put an arm around her, and let her head rest on his shoulder.

"Effie, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but, if you do, I'll always listen." Haymitch felt her nod against his shoulder.

"I can't sleep anymore," Effie told him. He knew that she used to take sleeping pills and that they were a mild form of an anti-depressant. It had never occurred to him before that she might actually have a legitimate reason for using them; he had always thought that it was just some stupid thing that people in the Capitol did for the hell of it.

"Effie, I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you over the years. I should have tried harder to get to know you; I shouldn't have pushed you away so many times," said Haymitch.

"I couldn't have told you about any of it anyway," Effie began, "but thank you. I should have tried harder too; you'd think I would have learned from what happened to me."

Haymitch told her, "Like you said, you couldn't tell anyone; you were just doing your job the best you knew how."

"Well, I don't suppose it matters anymore," Effie said, "Whatever happens after this, the past is in the past and we learned something from it. That's all that matters."

Haymitch thought that those were wise words from someone who had once gotten upset over a mahogany table being knifed. Effie was not the fool she had always pretended to be; Haymitch was finally seeing the real Effie, and he realized that the real Effie was a lot stronger than anyone could ever imagine just by looking at her.


End file.
